Schwinn Airdyne Exercise Bike Workouts

The Schwinn Airdyne is perhaps the most versatile exercise bike available. You can get a variety of workouts for your legs and arms. But the benefits don't stop there. Since it's powered by you, no electricity is necessary. Resistance comes from the fan blades at the front of the bike, so the harder you pedal, the more resistance you achieve. No matter what your fitness level or experience, the Schwinn Airdyne is a great addition to your workout regimen.

Keep on spinning to stay fit. (Image: SamuelBrownNG/iStock/Getty Images)

Fast Sprints

Start with a five-minute warm-up. Then, go all out for 30 seconds with a 45-second recovery. During the first couple of sprints, you might not want to take the full 45-second recovery. Resist the urge to skip the recovery, however. You'll need it because you'll be doing 10 to 20 sprints for a complete workout.

Long Sprints

Warm up for five minutes. Choose a challenging one-mile pace range -- for example, 75 to 80 RPM -- and hold it for one mile. Then, recover for 45 seconds by spinning slowly and go again for a mile at 75 to 80 RPM. Repeat for a total of four miles to start. As you get stronger, add more miles to build endurance. To improve your speed, increase the RPM range to a more challenging pace.

Long Day

For long days on the Schwinn Airdyne, set the bike up in front of a TV and find a good movie or game to watch. The Airdyne gets loud so be sure to turn up the volume. Pedal at a steady pace that you can handle for two to eight hours, depending on your fitness level and what you're training for. Break up the monotony by pedaling backwards, with one leg or standing up every half hour for 30 to 60 seconds. The design of the seat makes it comfortable for hours.

Let's Talk About Arms

The beauty of the Schwinn Airdyne is that you can get an arm workout if you need to rest your legs one day. If you want to improve on your pulling motion, focus on pulling backwards on the arms of the Airdyne. To improve your pushing strength, push the bike's arms away from you. You can do push and pull exercises during the same workout or break the two movements up onto separate days. To work the deltoid muscles, move your hands to the outside of the bike's handles and push and pull them. This strengthens the shoulder capsules without stress.